Map box? How do you store your maps?
 

A question only indirectly related to travel... To those of you who do lots of road trips, and therefore who own lots of road maps, how do you store your maps? I'm doing a little spring cleaning, and I have a foot-high stack of road maps that I'd like to store in a handy "map box" (if such a thing exists) or some type of convenient container.

Have any of you come across anything that seems perfect for storing lots of maps? I'll check out the Container Store and Target, but if you've got any specific ideas or recommendations, please share!

Thanks,
Mike
My travel blog: www.stricklandia.com

I have also been spring cleaning and had planned to toss a drawer full of maps and colorful brochures I have collected for many, many years. But as I looked through them, I could not throw away even one. Too attached to some memories or some look like historic pieces since thye are almost 40 years old.
So, instead of running out and purchasing boxes, I decided to recyle. I found a large box from a department store in which I had received a gift. It is about 18x18-inch square and put all the maps in it.
Now they are organized in one place.
Husband wants to throw them out saying we have Google now. But I like to save stuff!

Hello Mike, just some months ago I cleaned out my drawer that had tons of maps. I went through all the maps and only got rid of a few.

What I did was this..I put the maps for California (the state I live in) in one ziplock bag. I did the same for other state maps. I have lots of maps for Italy. I put N Italy in one ziploc bag and S Italy in another ziplock bag.

I had several old maps going back to the 1930's which I put in another ziplock bag.

All the ziplock bags fit in my map drawer but they are now organized.

If I didn't have a map drawer I would buy a container from Target or whereever and put all the ziplock bags in the container.

It occurred to me that a standard photo box, commonly found at a variety store like Target, would fit maps perfectly, if stacked side-to-side across the width of the box (perpendicular to the front-to-back way you'd stack photos).

Example box:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...eL._AA262_.jpg

Problem solved! Thanks, ileen and LoveItaly!

Mike
Travel blog: www.stricklandia.com

Most maps and brochures fit perfectly into the drawers of a plastic storage cart; that's where I keep mine. I have a rather nice collection of theme park maps and brochures going back several years.

Here's a cart at the Target site: http://tinyurl.com/5yuzcm

That's bigger than I need for my quantity of maps, and I'm looking for something more along the lines of a box, that makes storage easy. But thanks for the great idea, and I look forward to hearing more!

I don't have that many maps either. :) But I use the other drawers in the cart for printer paper. It's multipurpose. haha

I put maps and other travel-related brochures in magazine storage boxes, the kind that go on a bookshelf, with the little metal handle and label. I have more shelf space than drawer space, so this works best for me.

Like ellenem, I use magazine holders for maps. I also use them for any small instruction booklets, pamphlets, etc. that won't standup nicely on my bookshelves.

Target sells clear plastic shoebox size/type of container with a lid, for $1. Works like a charm.

Mine are also in a clear, plastic shoebox. In fact, so is all my travel "stuff". I have a label maker ( LOVE IT!!!) so all the containers are labeled and organized. If nothing else is organized, at least my travel things are!

I have two in wall magazine "racks". So they close up into the wall. I have maps, travel magazine and thin travel books in one of them. I got them at IKEA about 6 or 7 years ago.

I keep my maps in decorative boxes for photographs that I buy when there on sale at my local home-owned drugstore in Seattle (Bartells).

I have five boxes: one for Washington and Oregon, one for California, one for other Western States, one for the rest of the USA and Canada, and one for other countries.

I use an old cardboard box (recycle, reuse ;) ) with the maps stored alphabetically. Keep it on the bottom shelf of the bookcase with all the travel books and booklets.

I use clear plastic magazine cases - they have hinged lids that snap closed. I can put stacks of maps next to each other in the boxes. I also have a box for each country I've visited - I put literature, brochures, booklets, etc, as these boxes fit those things lying flat. The boxes all get stores on "travel shelves" in my bookcases.

The boxes can be seen and ordered here:
http://tinyurl.com/6lhhpc

We recieved a storage box that looks like a treasure chest for a xmas gift from our son a few years back. It's perfect for maps and stuffed full now...it's my treasure chest for sure!

I could never get rid of a map...I love the marks on them that show our travels and all that sort of thing. I have maps of Ireland for geneology and also of Scotland. Those are very special.